Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Even those not interested in baseball probably haven't been able to avoid talk about major leaguer Rafael Palmeiro being suspended for steroid use. Palmeiro claimed he did not knowingly take steriods, which he pretty much had to do given his Congressional testimony this year, where he claimed he had never used performance enhancing substances, despite what Jose Canseco claimed in his tell all autobiography. (The US Congress is going to investigate to see if he purjured himself.) In fact it is possible that Palmeiro is telling the truth, as far as it goes. He may not having knowingly taken steroids by simply not asking whoever provided him with the stuff what he was actually taking. As stupid as this seems I seem to remember one of the Giambi brothers claiming he didn't ask what was in the "suppliments" he was taking.

I've seen a number of comments over the last few days that major league sports shouldn't prevent steroid use, that if it produces an exciting product so be it. I strongly disagree. If you allow their use you'll just encourage more kids to be taking the crap, and for that matter their parents to want them to take performance enhancers. We've all heard stories of parents whose common sense takes off for places unknown at the mere hint their kid might play in the pros, causing them to do all sorts of stupid things. Its not hard to imagine some of these idiots giving their kids steroids if there is no prohibition against it. Some probably do even with the bans in place.